Thursday, November 23, 2006

Chris Dolley's grandfather was a sailor who entered New York Harbor four times between 1922 and 1939. Strangely, immigration records show that his height "oscillated between 5' 6" and 5' 9" over a period of 17 years. Never 5' 7" or 5' 8" always 5' 6" or 5' 9"."

His weight, however, did not fluctuate. It increased, gaining 21 pounds over the 17 years. No tattoos though. In fact there was a distinct dearth of tattoos - less than 10% of sailors had one.

The one solace for lovers of the stereotypical is a possible explanation for my grandfather's fluctuating height. A spare, and three inches longer, wooden leg. [Link]